Mind Games
by Queen of Sarab
Summary: Last chapter added! Two gifted sisters on the run from Oz run into the Gundams...contains slight yaoi...please r& r!
1. Default Chapter

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Author's note: This is my first full-length gundam story, so be kind...um, it contains yaoi....I know the first coupla chapters aren't exceptionally exciting, but I think it gets better...please r&r!  
  
Disclaimer: The gundams do not belong to me(unfortunately...), but there are a few original characters in here....  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Whoaaa!"  
Celeste DuMalle threw her head back in delight, letting the wind ruffle her already tousled red hair. She took a long drag off her cigarette, watching with narrowed green eyes the smoke that rose into the air in thin slivers.  
"You really shouldn't do that," her older sister scolded from the driver's seat of the small red convertible. "Those things will kill you."  
"Yeah, and so will sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, and anything else even remotely fun," Celeste shot back with a taunting grin.  
Her sister sighed, pushing her sunglasses up into her full golden hair. "Celeste..."  
"The name is Flare."  
"I am not calling you 'Flare'. You're name is Celeste."  
"Aw, c'mon Rory..."  
"Aurora. My name is Aurora."  
Celeste took another drag off her cigarette. "Right. Aurora I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass-and-don't-like-nicknames DuMalle."  
Aurora glared at her sister feebly for a moment before giving up and breaking down laughing.  
"We're almost there," she managed to choke out, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Are you ready?"  
"As ready as I'll ever be," Celeste made a face. "So what's our alias again?"  
"Phillips- and if you value your freedom at all, you'd better remember it." answered Aurora seriously, giving her younger sister a Look.  
"Ok?"  
  
Quatre scribbled furiously as Mrs. O'Sullivan talked, trying to take notes on the babble she was spouting. "Trying" being the key word- Mrs. O'Sullivan talked at about 200 miles per second. Quatre sighed, taking a break to steal a glance across the room where Trowa sat. Damn alphabetical seating....The one class he had with Trowa would be the one with that stupid rule. Fate was cruel.  
Mrs. O'Sullivan's voice was interrupted as the door opened and the school counselor walked in followed by a willowy girl with red hair pulled into an unruly braid and a defiant look plastered on her face.  
"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. O'Sullivan," the counselor said in her syrupy sweet voice. "This is your new student, Celeste Phillips."  
Mrs. O'Sullivan glanced tight-lipped at the girl, who stared stubbornly back. Finally, the teacher smiled sweetly and gestured in Quatre's direction.  
"You can sit behind Quatre for now. It's the only empty seat. Quatre, raise your hand."  
Obeying, Quatre tryed not to study the girl as obviously as she was studying him. His 6th sense tugged at him, telling him there was something unusual about Celeste. Oh, well. He'd worry about it later. Right now, there was something- well, someone- he would much rather concentrate on.  
Smiling slightly, Quatre stole another look at Trowa.  
  
Celeste looked with interest at the small blond boy in front of her. Feelings of love and affection peeled off of him in bright violet and golden rays, directed towards a brunette boy sitting across the room. Celeste probed his mind slightly for a name.  
Trowa- that was it. And man, was Quatre's mind filled with him.  
She glanced slightly at Trowa trying to get a read on his feelings.Oh, yeah, he liked Quatre back- quite a bit. She gathered they were a couple, the way they kept stealing glances at each other, occasionally catching each other's eyes and smiling.  
Celeste had a strong feeling of treading on private ground, but no one in the room was nearly as interesting as these two. She watched there little game of peekaboo with feline interest, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.  
Interesting.  
  
"Are they coming over here?" Heero pushed his dark hair out of his face, staring guardedly at the two girls walking across the cafeteria.  
"I think so," Quatre said curiously. "Those are the new girls, aren't they?"  
"Does it really matter?" Wufei sighed. "They're probably just coming over to flirt with Maxwell or something."  
"I can't help it if I'm irresistible," Duo grinned. Heero snorted.  
"We can't talk about the mission with them here," Trowa pointed out.  
"Well, we can't just say 'poof' and make them disappear, either," shot back Duo, just as the girls reached their table.  
"Hi," Aurora smiled. "Do you mind if we sit here? We don't really know anyone."  
"You don't know us, either," Wufei pointed out.  
They ignored him and sat down, not waiting for an invitation.  
"Sure, sit down," Duo answered, slightly too late. ""This is Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Heero, and I'm Duo."  
"I'm Aurora Phillips and this is my sister Celeste," Aurora returned with a sweet smile.  
"Call us Rory and Flare," added Celeste brightly.  
"Please don't," Aurora said between her teeth, shooting a Look at her younger sister.  
-You're absolutely no fun, do you know that?- whined Celeste telepathically.  
-I can be fun!- Aurora protested.  
-Right. Uh-huh. You're about as much fun as having your heart ripped out and fed to you bit by bit.-  
"Excuse me?" Quatre looked at her with a disgusted look on his face. "That's gross."  
-Did he just hear that?- Aurora asked, shocked.  
"Of course I heard it- why wouldn't I?"  
Aurora and Celeste looked at each other in shock. NO ONE had ever heard their mind-to-mind conversations before- at least, no one normal.  
"Uh, Quatre? Who are you talking to?" Trowa asked uncertainly with a worried look on his face. "No one said anything."  
Quatre looked completely and totally confused. Aurora and Celeste stared at him for a moment, then shot another look at each other.  
"I think I need a cigarette," Celeste groaned aloud in frustration.  
"Not again..." muttered Aurora.  
"You really shouldn't smoke..." Quatre began, concerned. "Cigarettes can kill you, you know."  
"Yes, woman, those foul things are not optimum for good health," stated Wufei.  
Trowa simply raised an eyebrow and Heero gave a wordless grunt. Duo didn't comment.  
"Geez, has everyone just turned into my mother all of the sudden?" Celeste chortled. "I'm going outside."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Mind Games- ch.2

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Celeste took a pull off her cigarette, keeping one eye out for stalking school officials. Getting kicked out would not help too much with keeping a low profile. Celeste grimaced just thinking about the lecture her sister would give her if she attracted so much attention to them.  
A noise from the door startled Celeste into shoving her cigarette behind her, blocked from view of the door. Tensed, she prepared herself for the worst- and only Duo came out.  
"What, did you come to lecture me too?" Celeste said bitterly, taking a defiant drag off her cigarette.  
"Actually I was going to ask if I could bum one," Duo grinned.  
Celeste raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You smoke?" She looked at him with interest, probing his mind slightly. All she'd gotten from it before were the same type of feelings she had felt from Quatre earlier...but Duo's feelings were unresolved- and directed towards Heero. Heero's mind had been a jumble of confusion she couldn't pick one specific thought out of, but Duo's thoughts had been clearly and completely on Heero.  
As they were now.  
"Not usually," Duo replyed. "But hey, life sucks, so why not shorten the agony a little."  
"Right...the whole 'Heero' thing."  
Duo looked up sharply. "Excuse me?"  
"You know, the whole thing you have for Heero," Celeste shrugged.  
"How did you know about that?" Duo asked suspiciously.  
"Oh...just a feeling." Celeste fluttered her eyes innocently, and Duo grinned.  
"You know, 'Flare', those things can kill you..." he mocked innocently.  
Celeste hit him playfully. "Thanks for the advice, Braid-boy."  
"Ha, ha, ha."  
They fell into a comfortable silence. Celeste pulled at her cigarette thoughtfully, glancing occasionally at the small boy leaning against the wall next to her. Duo's mind was a place of stormclouds and sunshine somehow coexisting in one little space.  
She loved it.  
If only she could do something for his little Heero dilemma...Celeste stared annoyed at a small piece of broken glass glittering on the ground, suddenly overcome with the urge to smash something. Oh, yeah, Aurora would love that...Celeste rolled her eyes in supreme annoyance. She could just imagine it- Aurora telling her how she needed to "control" her feelings better. Well, at least she showed her feelings....  
Celeste shook herself out of her thoughts, flicking the last of her cigarette onto the pavement beneath her. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she stretched gracefully against the wall...and stopped. With a mischievous grin, she turned to Duo.  
"Hey, Braid-boy, wanna take a ride?"  
Duo looked at her with curiosity. "What?"  
Celeste dangled a set of keys in front of him with a wolfish grin. "I stole my sister's keys."  
"Uh, don't we have classes?"  
"What's your point?"  
Duo sighed. "Heero's gonna kill me...."  
"I'm taking that as a yes," grinned Celeste, grabbing Duo's arm. "C'mon."  
  
  



	3. Mind Games- ch.3

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Aurora scanned the textbook in front of her, trying not to fall  
asleep on top of the book from boredom. She glanced at the clock and  
groaned. Only 5:00. And where was her sister? She hadn't seen her   
since lunch, and that could only mean bad things.  
She scolded herself inwardly for not trusting her sister. Of  
course, it wasn't like Celeste had earned her trust. But   
still...Celeste was all she had left, and if she couldn't trust her, then she couldn't trust anybody.  
Wow, I'm screwed in the trust department, she thought before she  
could stop herself. No. No. Trust Celeste.TRUST Celeste.  
The knock on the door startled her considerably. Jumping out of  
bed, Aurora padded across the room. This HAD to be her sister. It had   
to be...  
"Where is Maxwell and what has that...girl...you call a sister done  
with him?" Wufei snarled as soon as the door opened. Well, hello to you  
too...  
"Excuse me?"  
"Maxwell was in none of his afternoon classes, he's not in his dorm  
room, and I CAN'T FIND HIM."  
"And this has what to do with my sister?" Aurora smiled with fake  
politeness, holding the door ready to slam in his face.  
"No one's seen him since he went after your sister at lunchtime,"  
Wufei said between clenched teeth. "So where is she?"  
TRUST CELESTE. Oh, who was she kidding? She wouldn't trust her  
sister as far as she could throw her.  
"I have absolutely no idea," Aurora replied, now equally as angry.  
"But trust me, if they come back here you'll know about it."  
Trust Celeste?  
She was going to absolutely KILL her little sister.  
  
"Oook...what are we doing now?" Duo asked uncertainly, looking  
around at the increasingly decrepit and vandalized buildings they were  
driving past. "I mean, what are we doing here?"  
"Getting tattoos," Celeste answered nonchalantly, flipping off a  
guy about their age who was catcalling in her direction.  
"Oh. Ok. And what the hell would I want to get a tattoo of?"  
"I don't know, maybe you can get 'Heero' in huge letters across  
your ass."  
"Very funny."  
"Yeah, I know." Celeste screeched over to park along the curb in  
front of a low-lying brick building with a sign reading  
"Piercing-Tattoos-Body Art". "C'mon, let's go. I feel like pissing my  
sister off."  
  
The window to Celeste and Aurora's dorm room creaked open slowly,  
letting in the tiny amount of moonlight that shone outside.  
"You might as well have used the door, Celeste. it would have saved  
you a lot of trouble."  
Celeste stuck her head sheepishly in, then pulled her body all the  
way through. "It was worth a try."  
"I just would've killed you in the morning anyway."  
"Well, you know me- I just love climbing through windows."  
Aurora sighed, switching on the lamp nest to her bed. "Cut the  
crap, Celeste- where have you been and what did you screw up?"  
"Oh, only myself this time- I got a tattoo." Celeste grinned  
evilly. "Wanna see?"  
Aurora stared at her openmouthed. "You had BETTER be kidding."  
Without answering, Celeste pulled up side of her uniform skirt to  
reveal a tensed black panther tattooed on her hip. She smiled sweetly   
at her sister. " 'Fraid not. Duo got some kinda scythe or something on his  
shoulder."  
"Oh, so now you dragged your new boy-toy into your schemes, too?"  
"For your INFORMATION, he's not my boy-toy, he's in love with  
Heero. Now good night."  
Celeste flipped off her sister's light just as that struck Aurora.  
"WHAT?"  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?!"  
Heero grabbed Duo's shoulders, trying to shake some sense into him.  
"What the hell did you think...."  
"Ow..ow..STOP!" Duo grimaced.  
"I'm not shaking you that hard, Duo."  
"I know, it's just that my shoulder's extremely sore." Duo winced,  
pulling Heero's hand off his shoulder. "Can I just say ow, ow, and ow  
again?'"  
Heero looked at his roommate accusingly. "Why is your shoulder sore?'  
"From the tattoo..."  
After the minute it took for that to sink in, Heero's jaw dropped.  
"The WHAT?  
Duo smiled sheepishly and pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to  
reveal a flaming scythe tattooed on his shoulder. "Tattoo."  
"Ok, " Heero took a deep breath. "Let me get this straight- you  
skipped school, went off with some girl you don't even know, and got a  
TATTOO?"  
"Yeah...that sounds about right." Duo winced.  
Heero opened his mouth several times without sound, finally just  
settling on a patent Heero Yuy death glare. Duo retreated quickly into   
the bathroom.  
  
  
  



	4. Mind Games- ch.4

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Celeste shivered, pulling her leather jacket closer around her and  
glancing impatiently at her watch. Where WAS he? Duo was supposed to   
meet her nearly an hour ago. It'd only been a week, but the two of them had   
very quickly formed a deep friendship. Of course, that would all be over   
when Celeste KILLED him for making her wait in the cold...  
She glanced at her watch again. Ok, Duo Maxwell was going to  
die.... Celeste sighed. Fine. If he wasn't gonna come to her, she'd go   
to him. Stomping out her cigarette, she began the long tromp up to Duo's   
dorm.  
  
Celeste stopped outside Duo and Heero's dorm door, reaching for the  
knob. She drew back suddenly as a flood of seriousness and worry  
bombarded her mind. What..?  
Drawing closer, she pressed her ear against the door to hear what  
was going on. She reached out with her mind to identify the people n   
the room. Heero....Trowa....Quatre....Wufei...Duo. Oh. Well, that wasn't   
much of anything, they were always together. She was about to knock when   
Heero's voice stopped her.  
"We've got all the names we need, " Heero said. "Now we just have  
to get armed and ready."  
Trowa's voice cut in. "We still need to take care of the small  
matter of getting in.."  
"Easy," Duo laughed. "Nice, pretty explosions."  
"Not that simple," Heero grunted. "This is an UNDERCOVER mission,  
Duo. We can't just go blasting into an Oz gala and expect to   
Assassinate someone."  
Celeste drew back. Um...what? Oz gala? ASSASSINATE?  
Of course, if they were against Oz...then maybe they could help her  
and Aurora.  
Deep in her thoughts, Celeste hadn't noticed when the door had  
started to give- and still didn't notice until it flew open and she   
toppled in, onto the floor. She looked up sharply to see Heero pointing his   
gun down at her, a startled look on his face.  
Shit.  
"Um...hi?" she smiled uncertainly. "I was just...looking for Duo...."  
"And that involved listening in on our conversation?" Heero asked  
coldly.  
"I knew she'd be trouble, " Wufei muttered.  
Duo stared at Celeste for a minute, then looked very quickly back  
and forth between her and Heero. "Uh..you know, maybe we should give   
her a chance to explain herself." he cut in desperately, putting a hand on  
Heero's wrist.  
"She's a security risk, Duo," Heero said steadily, not taking his  
eyes off Celeste. "A risk we really can't take."  
Face pale, Duo turned away. Celeste took a deep breath and looked  
straight up at Heero. She could feel that he was willing to kill her.  
Would kill her. This was not a nice situation.  
"LEAVE HER ALONE."  
All eyes turned towards the doorway. Aurora stood there, eyes  
blazing angry and golden. With a flick of her hand, Heero's gun went   
flying across the room. Hitting the opposite wall, it went off with a loud   
bang, the bullet lightly grazing Wufei's shoulder.  
"What the..." Trowa breathed.  
Duo stared at her. "How did you do that?" he whispered.  
Celeste, who had jumped up as soon as the gun had gone flying,  
scrambled over to stand nest to her sister. "I think we can tell them,  
Rory."  
Aurora glanced sharply at her sister, who looked back pleadingly,  
adding mentally, -Please just trust me...this once. I won't let you   
down.-  
"Fine," Aurora sighed. "Close the door and sit down."  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Mind Games- ch.5

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"First of all," Aurora began, "Our last name is not Phillips- it's DuMalle. And before you ask, yes, like the Oz official Jacques DuMalle. He was our father.  
"Up until about a year ago, we lived in a big mansion with tons of servants and pretty much anything we wanted. That was when we discovered what we could do."  
Duo held up one hand for her to stop. "Ok, which is what   
exactly?"  
"Basically? Rory moves stuff with her mind and I read minds." Celeste answered. "Oh, and we can communicate telepathically- with each other. Oh, and apparently with Quatre."  
Quatre's big blue eyes opened even wider. "That day at lunch. That  
WAS you."  
"Yes," Aurora smiled. "But we'll figure out that whole mess later- after we've finished our story and heard yours."  
"Before you, uh, finish your story," Duo asked nervously. "That mind-reading thing, Celeste- did you ever...do that to me?"  
Without answering, Celeste blinked innocently at him. "Finish the story, Rory- unless you want me to."  
"Ok," Aurora sighed. "When we discovered our powers, we confided in  
only two people- Our father, and a woman who had served our family for years- who had been the closest thing we had to a mother since our real mother died when we were little. Apparently we put our trust in the   
wrong person. Within 2 days, Oz knew all about us and our powers, and was  
determined we should be their newest weapons."  
Taking a deep breath, the golden blonde girl continued. "Our father wouldn't let them have us. He was in the way. So they killed him- shot, right in front of us." Aurora stopped, then softly added, "We've been on the run ever since."  
Silence reigned for several seconds as the story was digested.  
Celeste was the one to finally break the silence with an obviously   
Forced grin. "So, what's your story?"  
"I would think the mind-reader would already know that," Duo managed a cheerful smile.  
"Well, uh, I'm not exactly completely in control of my powers yet," Celeste said sheepishly. "I can mostly just get a read on feelings, occasionally a word or two..."  
"Try now," Duo commanded, concentrating on one specific word. Celeste's face scrunched with concentration.  
"Um..." Celeste closed her eyes. "Gu..Gundam?"  
Her eyes flew open as Aurora's jaw dropped.  
"You win," Duo said softly.  
  
"I. Wanna. HELP." Celeste glared stubbornly at Heero, who stared back stony-faced.  
"Out of the question," he replied. "This is our mission, not yours."  
"Maybe we should just let them do this one alone," Aurora said gently.  
"Besides," continued Heero. "We don't want to endanger the lives of civilians."  
Eyes suddenly flashing, Aurora turned on him. "I think we lost the rank of 'civilian' the day Oz killed our father. We're helping."  
"I think they could really help a lot," Quatre threw in. "Besides, wouldn't it look less suspicious if it wasn't just five guys going alone- without dates?"  
"You and I are going as Relena's bodyguards," growled Heero. "And  
Trowa's doing the actual assassination."  
"Right," Duo threw in. "But me and Wu-man are just backup, and it would look much less suspicious if we had dates. Right, Wuffie?"  
"Wufei, Maxwell," glared Wufei. "And I don't..."  
"No one wanted your opinion, anyway," Celeste cut in. "We're coming whether you like it our not. If you can get invitations, I know I can. Or, you know, just read a little to find out which guards can  
be...persuaded...to let us in. If you take us with you it'll cause MUCH less of a scene." With an evil grin, Celeste sat down with a plop on Duo's bed.  
Heero stared at her for a second, then shook his head. "Fine. But if you in any way BEGIN to jeapordize the mission, you're either out of there or dead."  
Celeste stared back at him evenly. "See you tomorrow at 6."  
  
Celeste spun grinning in the mirror, admiring the short red silk dress her sister had found her. Leaning forward and running a tube of bright red across her lips, she fluffed the mass of curled red on top of her head. She glanced over her shoulder casually. "Hey, Rory, you done yet?"  
"Not going," was the muffled reply.  
"Scuse me? Not going?" Celeste straightened up, striding over to the bathroom. "Get your ass out her and show me before I break down the damn door."  
The door opened tentatively. Aurora was wearing a floor length embroidered gold dress, very close to the brilliant color of her hair- which was loose in a fluff around her- her eyes, and her golden-tinted  
skin. In fact, she seemed to be surrounded by a brilliant aura of gold.  
Celeste whistled. "Kay, so WHY don't you want to go?" Aurora looked  
at her sister entreatingly, glancing at low cut top of her dress and the slit running almost up to her hip. Celeste merely laughed.  
"Oh, get over it. We got a gala to crash."  
  
  



	6. Mind Games- ch.6

Mind Games  
By Queen of Sarab  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"I'm sooo glad you came, Heero," Relena bubbled mercilessly. "I feel so much safer with you here."  
"And Quatre," threw in Duo. "He's here to protect you too. And maybe Wufei, but I'm not really sure. He's too busy staring at Rory to notice anyone else."  
At that, Aurora's face turned red and Wufei looked like he wouldn't have minded at all if the earth had opened up and swallowed him. Celeste grinned knowingly. "Not the only one staring at people, is he now Duo?" she muttered where only he could hear. "Try to keep your Heero fantasies   
rated PG, PG-13 tops, 'Kay?"  
Grinning forcedly, Duo gave her a swift kick under the table they  
sat at, hissing between his teeth, "Stop reading my mind."  
"Kinda hard, the way your shouting."  
"I am not shouting, I'm whispering."  
"In your mind, dumbass. I would be able to hear you across the room easily."  
"Duo," Relena's voice cut in. "I was surprised to see you brought a date. Celeste, isn't it?"  
"No," Celeste cut in. "It's Flare."  
"Um...ok." Relena looked at her uncertainly. "Are you a, uh, student?"  
Celeste looked at her seriously. "Only by day. By night I'm actually a topless dancer. Pays really well. "  
Duo smothered a laugh with his fist. Relena looked at her uncertainly, then turned her attention back to Heero.  
"Hey, Duo, wanna dance?" asked Celeste brightly.  
Duo grinned. "Love to, Flare. As long as you don't start stripping or something."  
"Oh, you know you'd love it. You could just imagine I'm Heero." Celeste's grin melted into a grimace. "Ew, Duo, at least TRY to hide your thoughts."  
Across the room, Celeste could see Trowa standing silent and alert on one of the balconies. Suddenly remembering what they were here to do, she turned her face to Duo. "Who are we assassinating, anyway? There doesn't seem to be anyone extremely important here..."  
Duo shrugged. "Some guy- we really didn't even get a name, just a description and picture."  
With a slight frown, Celeste stopped moving as the music cut off suddenly, and a spotlight fixed itself on the stage at the far end of the room. The bright light reflected sharply off of the microphone, creating spots of light on the walls and ceiling.  
"This should be the guy," Duo murmured to her. "The guy who's gonna  
speak."  
A ripple of applause rode through the crowd as the speaker walked on stage. The middle-aged man, walking with the bearing denoting someone of importance, had a head of sandy blond hair shot through with gray, and harsh, calculating gray eyes.  
Celeste felt a shock of recognition course through her, and she put a hand to her mouth to keep herself from either vomiting or screaming.   
At their table, she saw Aurora's normally tan face drain of all color.  
The man on stage was their father.  
  
She felt as if the world had been ripped out from under her feet, and she was falling into an endless void of screaming terror. This was not possible. This was not happening. Celeste realized vaguely that Duo was supporting her, giving her a worried look. Huh. She must have started to fall.  
Doesn't matter now. Nothing matters. Nothing except...ohgod, but he was DEAD, and that's why they had to run. He didn't know....he wasn't bad....  
Even as she thought it, Celeste realized it wasn't really true. Her father had never been kind. He'd never comforted, praised, encouraged....it had always been cool, calculating looks and clipped conversations. He hadn't been good- he'd simply been all Celeste and Aurora had ever had.  
But it all made sense now- it wasn't their nanny who had told Oz about them- it was their father. It had been him all along. Celeste felt a sudden calm overcome her, and she pushed Duo away. She knew what she had to do- Trowa wouldn't have to kill him.  
She would.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Mind Games- ch.7

MInd Games   
by Queen of Sarab 

Chapter 7 

It was all so clear- Celeste couldn't let Trowa kill her father. If anyone did it, it would be her. End of story.   
Everything seemed to be in slow motion- Celeste almost could've laughed at the absurd unreal aspect of it. She got to her father long before Trowa's shot went off. As soon as she saw he was reaching for his gun, she lunged, screaming with her mind as she'd never screamed before. She saw people falling back, gasping for breath as her screams hit them and thought for a moment she must be screaming aloud.   
But she wasn't.   
No time to comprehend that now- just knock him down, get him out. Celeste saw her father, cold gray eyes wide, staring at her in unmasked fear as she knocked him down and kicked him off the stage, throwing him over her shoulders with inhuman strength. She was out the back entrance before anyone even realized what was going on. 

As soon as Aurora saw her sister's face, she knew Celeste was going to do something dumb. But this? This exceeded dumb. It exceeded brainless. What the hell had she been thinking?!   
No, Aurora knew exactly what Celeste had been thinking. That their "father" was a lying, murderous rat who deserved a slimy and excruciating death. But Aurora- unlike her sister- thought things through. This was unreasonable. It was INSANE.   
Celeste's scream had surprised them all- Aurora knew not even Celeste had known she could do that. But she had- although somehow blocked it from her friends (Wufei, Heero and Trowa were not extremely happy with her) and there would be a whole lotta Oz officials with headaches tomorrow.   
And one dead- if Aurora didn't get there first. 

Celeste stared, breathing hard, at the man she had called father for so many years, tied tightly to a wooden chair. Although it was probably not the safest place, her dorm room was the only place Celeste had had to take him- besides, the dorms were where she kept her weapons.   
Much to her sister's chagrin, Celeste had entertained a morbid passion for collecting weapons ever since she was young, and she had packed the favorites from her her collection even before her clothes when she and her sister were running away. She always knew she would find some use for them.   
The small, curved blade she drew from beneath her bed glittered dangerously as she twirled it around her finger. Her father winced. He'd seen what she could do with her weapons.   
"Now, FATHER," Celeste started coldly, "I want answers."   
"I don't know what you're..."   
A slash of red welled up on his cheek as Celeste's knife flashed.   
"Why aren't you dead?"   
The man looked up at her stubbornly. "Why would I be dead?"   
"I saw you!" Celeste whimpered. "I SAW you die!"   
"Looks can be deceiving," her father sneered.   
A line of red appeared on the opposite cheek.   
"Liar."   
A dot of fear showed in the man's eyes this time as he realized exactly how hopeless his situation was.   
"Who are you? Really?" Letting out a shuddering breath, Celeste realized she was close to sobbing and made a feeble attempt to pull herself together. "I mean, you don't even look like me or Rory, and I...I mean, what kind of monster would lie to his own freaking daughters? What kind of bastard would turn his daughters over to someone he knew would hurt them? To someone they feared, hated, didn't want to even be associated with... I know you're not our father- and if you are, you're an even bigger bastard than I thought."   
The man stared at her in shock, then shook himself noticibly. "Celeste, darling...."   
"Don't call me darling," Celeste sneered. " I am not your darling. You gave up the right to even look me in the face the first day you lied to me. So tell me. Who are you?"   
He didn't reply. Instead, he stubbornly refused to meet her eyes, focusing instead on the pattern of the carpet on the floor. Celeste looked resigned.   
"Fine. Your choice." She drew the knife back menacingly, then brought it forward with a quick practiced motion, blade glinting in the light.   
"I'll tell you! Stop! I'll tell you!"   
The knife hung poised an inch from his throat.   
Celeste looked at him expectantly.   
"Well?"   
Suddenly, the knife flew out of her hand, hitting the wall and sticking with a dull thud.   
"Celeste, stop it," Aurora shouted, running over to where her sister stood. "You can't kill him."   
Celeste looked at her angrily. "Right. Not until he tells us who he is. Then I kill him."   
"No no, no killing in the dorms," Duo slid through the door, followed closely by Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. "Only on Fridays and occasionally Wednesdays."   
"It is Friday," Celeste grinned slowly.   
"Oh, well, go right ahead then," Duo shrugged.   
"Duo!" Aurora scolded.   
"Oh, right." Duo sighed. "Sorry, Flare, no killing today."   
"Damn."   
Aurora slowly looked at the bound man, then back at her sister. "Don't worry, Celeste, we'll find out what's going on." Everyone's attention had focused on Celeste and Aurora's "father", who was staring defiantly at them.   
"Well?" Aurora said expectantly."Talk."   
The man glared. "I don't..."   
"Ok, Celeste, I've changed my...."   
"Waitwaitwait!" the man cringed. "Ok. I'll talk."   



	8. Mind Games- ch.8

MInd Games   
by Queen of Sarab 

Chapter 8 

"You were born to a rich family in France," he began. "A family who had made its fortune in... shady... dealings. You were just burdens. Your parents were old fashioned, wanted a son for an heir. But we wanted you. Early on you showed signs of extraordinary powers. So we took you. Kidnapped you and brought you to a remote mansion in the country to be brought up under our influence."   
"Stop," Celeste commanded. "You're lying."   
All eyes in the room turned sharply in her direction.   
"Excuse me?" Aurora asked.   
"About our family." Celeste was staring, eyes wide with shock. "He's lying his ass off. Bastard."   
"How are you telling this?" Staring liberally, Duo took a tentative step toward Celeste.   
Her head whipped around, locking angry green eyes on Duo's violet ones.   
"I have no freakin idea." She turned back to her "father". "But he's lying. OUr parent's were respectable aristocrats. They loved us very much. This guy," she jerked her head toward the man,"killed them. Shot."   
The man averted his eyes.   
Trembling wildly, Aurora's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a cry that sounded like someone struggling to breath. Wufei uncharacteristically reached around to support her and keep her from falling.   
Celeste was still staring at the man she now knew as the murderer of her parents. Her reaction, unlike her sisters, was not one of shock, but one of pure, undying hatred.   
Through a cloud of red, she noticed Trowa was still holding a gun, and very suddenly she lurched for it. For once in his life startled, Trowa barely had time to step aside before she reached it, leaving her to fall flat on the floor. Before she could move, Heero had pinned her, holding his own gun to her.   
"Stop. Now."   
They lay locked in a battle of willpower for several seconds, neither wanting to be the one to give in first. Finally Celeste sighed, relaxing her muscles, and Heero let her up. Face drawn with suppressed emotion, Celeste stood calmly.   
"Fine," she said. "What do YOU want to do with the murderer?"   
"We don't know for sure he's a murderer," Trowa pointed out. "We're just assuming so because you think..."   
"He's a murderer," Celeste insisted icily. "I'm sure of it. And a murderer, I might add, who you were going to assassinate in the first place, so why the HELL can't I do it?!"   
"Because you'll regret it," Aurora said softly. "It's just revenge killing, Celeste. You're letting your temper get the best of you..."   
"Well, gosh," Celeste smiled sarcastically. "I'm sure it's ten million times better when these lovely boys kill enemies than when I do it. Isn't theat right, Quatre?" Smiling sweetly, she wheeled to face the blond boy, who was looking slightly disturbed. He didn't answer. "Hm," Celeste continued. "Guess not."   
The room had gone unnaturally silent. Celeste was almost radiating contained anger, green eyes narrowed like a cat ready to pounce. The murderer was looking extremely nervous, eyes darting quickly from one person to another. It was Duo who finally spoke.   
"I'm with Celeste," he stated. "I think we should kill him."   
"I don't see that we have a choice," consented Heero. Trowa nodded mutely in agree ment.   
Aurora was shaking her head furiously, blond hair flying wildly around her head. "No. NO. We do have a choice. I don't think there needs to be any more killing here. It's Celeste and I who are hurt by this, and I can't stand the fact that there are going to be more deaths just because of us."   
"Isn't there some other way?" Quatre asked quietly.   
Wufei was the next to speak. "It's not just to kill a man unable to defend himself."   
"Listen, " Celeste cut in. "I've spent the last however the hell long it was, it seems like an eternity, thinking that my father was dead, that Oz had killed my father. I've spent my whole LIFE thinking this bastard was my father. I don't even know who the hell I am anymore, and its this guys fault. Honestly, I'd love to torture him for several years before killing him. But I'm willing to compromise at a quick death. In my mind, no death isn't a real big option."   
"Seems we're in a deadlock," Duo muttered.   
With a worried glance in her sister's direction, Aurora spoke up. "I have a suggestion. We give him twenty-four hours- tomorrow night, if he can give us a good reason to let him live, he lives. We'll decide how to handle that when we come to it. But if he can't come up with anything, you can kill him."   
"It's better than arguing all night," Heero stated. "But he's not staying in here with Celeste. We can put him in the closet in my dorm. Any objections?"   
All eyes turned to Celeste, but she only sighed in defeat and shrugged her shoulders. "Fine," she said. 


	9. Mind Games- ch.9

Mind Games   
by Queen of Sarab 

Chapter 9   
  
Duo lay awake for a long time after they had tyed up their captive and locked him in the closet. Wufei was taking the first watch, prowling quietly outside the door. With a sigh, he shifted his body to where he could see Heero's form against the opposite wall, outlined in the moonlight. He lay for several minutes like that, finally deciding to check on the prisoner.   
The door creaked a little as he opened it, and Duo flinched, glancing in Heero's direction to make sure the noise had not disturbed him.   
That was a mistake.   
He hardly felt the blow to his head, but the dots swimming before his eyes before he blacked out completely were all too real. 

"Duo!"   
Duo groggily opened his eyes, flinching a pain shot through his head. Ow. He kinda wished he'd let Celeste kill the guy.   
"Duo, are you alright?" Heero's eyes were wide, scared.   
Huh. Didn't think he ever showed emotion, Duo thought confusedly. "Just 5 more minutes..."   
"No, no, don't go back to sleep- you might have a concussion."   
Silly Heero, why would he have a....whachamacallit....ok, so maybe he was a little dizzy....   
"Wuzgoin on?" he asked.   
"The prisoner escaped," Heero replied. "HIt you over the head and took off. Wufei, Quatre, and Celeste went after him." Anger flashed suddenly over his features, and he had to restrain himself to keep from shaking Duo. "Why the HELL did you open the door, baka?"   
"When I remember or think of a good lie I'll tell you," Duo answered irritably.   
Heero sighed. "Back to normal, huh?"   
"Was I ever normal?' 

Aurora's small red convertible sped along the highway, going at least 75 miles per hour. Looking extremely pale, Quatre was clutching the passenger side door, while Wufei calmly sat on top of the seat as lookout.   
"Remind me why you're driving again?" Quatre asked Celeste through his teeth, knuckles white from holding on so hard.   
"Because I'm special," shot back Celeste. "See anything, Wu-man?"   
Sparing a second to shot her a withering look, Wufei returned, "I'd tell you if I...stop."   
Celeste slammed on the brakes, causing both Quatre and Wufei to fell forward. "What?"   
"I think I see something," Wufei leaped easily over the edge of the car, jogging over to the side of the road. A sheer cliff, nearly hidden by trees and bushes, started about 50 feet from the road. In the near daylight, if was fairly clear- but at night, it would have been nearly impossible to see.   
"I found him," Wufei said grimly.   
The drop of the cliff was around half a mile, marked with jagged rocks and outjutting shrubs. About halfway down, on a jagged rock edge, lay their fugitive.   
"He's dead." Wufei stated as soon as the other two had reached him.   
"We should check to be sure..." began Celeste, but Wufei cut her off.   
"We'd kill ourselves trying to get down there. And at the angle his neck is at, there's absolutely no way he could have survived." He glanced at Celeste. "There's nothing else to do." 

Three days later 

Celeste threw a pair of leather pants into her suitcase, then glanced around her for anything she might have missed. It had taken alot of begging and persuading, but the combination of her, Duo, Aurora, Quatre, and even a little bit of Wufei and Trowa had finally convinced Heero that the girls should go with them- at least for now.   
Aurora's bags were already packed and on her bed, and as Celeste closed up her bag she grabbed it and headed down the hall to Duo and Heero's room.   
"You guys ready yet?" she asked, kicking the door open with her foot. She let the bags fall to floor for a second, leaning her willowy frame against the doorframe to rest.   
"Just about," Duo quipped. "But you do realize we're not heading out for like four hours, right?"   
"Yes," grinned Celeste. "I do. But I'm going to go throw me and Rory's stuff into the convertible. Now I'll leave you and Heero alone- I'm sure you won't mind that, considering the fact you're in love with him..."   
"What?"   
Unnoticed by the two, Heero had walked out of the bathroom, bare from the waist up in a pair of shorts, still wet from his shower. He was staring steadily at Celeste, eyes barely peeking through his sopping hair.   
"I wasn't supposed to say that, was I?" Celeste opened her eyes wide in mock innocence, and Duo realized she'd known he was there all along. He made a mental note to kill her later. "I'll leave you two alone to talk..." With that, Celeste slid unnoticed out the door, leaving the two boys staring after her in amazement.   
On her way out, she made sure her hand "slipped", locking the door.   



	10. Mind Games- ch.10

Mind Games   
by Queen of Sarab 

Author's note: Thanks to all you guys who have read my story so far...I just have to thank my writer's block antidote, saimone, who wrote alot of this chapter when I got stuck...I'm considering a sequel to this, but only if I get enough feedback on it... so pleeaassseee review!!   


Chapter 10 

"What was that, Duo?" Heero demanded.   
       "Ummm...Nothing?" he managed to squeak back in return.   
       "You're nervous. That is not right, therefore its not 'nothing'. Tell me."   
       "Ya know, you're rapidly using up this week's word quota..." Duo hedged.   
       "Don't care. And don't change the subject, Baka. What was she talking about?"   
        'I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdead...' Against his will, Duo started to tremble. There was no way Heero would let him live, now. Not when he knew...   
        "It's nothing Heero. Really..." 'deaddeaddead'   
        When Heero saw Duo start to panic, it drove the last doubts from his mind. But he had to see for sure... He closed the distance between himself and Duo, watching as Duo's eyes widened in fear, and grabbed the boy's arms (being careful not to hit the tattoo). Duo's panic increased.   
        "Wait! Heero don't kill me, I can expla--" The rest of what Duo had to say was cut off by the sensation of Heero's mouth sealing his shut with a kiss.   
        Duo's poor brain nearly short circuited at the sensation. 'He's kissing me? He's KISSING me! Oh my god. ohgodohgodohgod...' His thoughts ceased after this point, not being able to withstand the sensory overload.   
        The kiss started out gentle at first, almost tentative. But soon it grew in response to all the bottled up passion. Heero pressed Duo's unresisting body back against the wall and continued to assault his wonderfully kissable lips. All too soon, the pair had to stop for air. They simultaneously broke apart, drawing in shaky, gasping breaths, Duo leaning back against the wall for support.   
        "Wh..what?" Duo attempted.   
        "Is Celeste right?" asked Heero, instead.   
        Duo looked up at Heero and saw the rest of that question in his eyes. He knew he couldn't lie. "Yes, Heero. She's right..."   
        Heero smirked, the closest thing he could get to an actual smile. "Good..." was all he said as he claimed Duo's lips again. Duo didn't protest. 

   * * * * *   
(four hours later) 

        "Where the HELL are they?" Wufei demanded.   
        Trowa, Quatre, and Aurora shrugged. Celeste just started whistling and tried to look innocent. She failed.   
        "Celeste..." began her sister.   
        Celeste cut her off,"I can't tell you where they are, but I can show you a little..."   
        "What?" asked Quatre.   
        "Just relax your minds a little and listen..." Celeste instructed. They did. And as they did, their minds were filled with a warm, golden, tingly sensation. It was quite a pleasant experience.   
        "What was that?" Trowa spoke up, still a bit lost in that feeling--they all were.   
        Celeste smirked. "That would be Heero and Duo reveling in a newfound love--TOGETHER!" she replied with a laugh. The guys were in shock. Except for Quatre, who beamed happily at his friend's happiness.   
        "Which I'm certain was absolutely none of your doing..." Aurora stated sarcastically.   
        "Who? Moi??? No, not me...Never me! Would I really do something like that, Rory? Ya know, meddle in other people's business? Never, never, never..."   
        "Sure. I believe you..."   
        --You're next Rory!--   
        --You wouldn't dare...Celeste, I'd kill you!!"   
        --Oh, she'd dare all right. I think it would be good for you, and Wufei as well...--   
        --QUATRE! Get out of the conversation! I didn't ask you, I was talking to my no good, meddlesome, brat sister.--   
        --Hey! I resemble that remark! And I agree with Quatre. Your doomed, sis! Isn't that right Quat???"   
        "She's right you know..." Quatre said out loud, earning the three of them confused looks from Wufei and Trowa.   
        "I wish that you three would kindly not do that!" Wufei snapped.   
        Celeste stuck her tongue out at him as Duo and Heero rushed towards them, bags in hand. 

         "Sorry we're late..." Duo panted. "We got a little... sidetracked..."   
         Heero didn't say anything.   
         "That's quite okay, Duo. As long as you had fun!" Celeste said with a wink. She leaned next to his ear and whispered, "I want details later!"   
         Duo blushed. "Read the book," he said with a smirk.   
         Celeste smirked back. "Or better yet, read your mind!" she retorted. Duo paled. Celeste laughed, then everyone else (save for Heero) joined in. "You can thank me later," she told Duo graciously. "But now we all gotta be going. Where to?"   
         "I guess we'll find out when we get there..." Quatre stated.   
         "Sounds good to me. Any place is better than here!" Duo laughed. "Let's pile in and get the hell out of here..."   
         Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa get into the van that they stole and waited for the other two pilots.   
         "We'll follow you guys in our car," Aurora told them.   
         "Great!" Duo smiled.   
         Heero handed Celeste a 2-way radio. She looked at it puzzled. "What's this for?" she asked.   
         "In case your mental powers can't contact us on the road. We wouldn't want to loose you..." Heero explained. "It be...a security risk!" he hastily tried to amend.   
         Celeste smiled knowingly. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought..." Then she hugged him. Heero was shocked for all of two seconds before hesitantly hugging her back. When Celeste stepped out of the way, Aurora took her place. Then both girls enveloped Duo in an enthusiastic embrace. Their little hug-fest was cut short by an impatient honk from the van.   
         "Men!" the girls scoffed. "No patience..." Then they waved at the boys and got into their car, leaving Duo and Heero standing alone.   
         "We ready?" Heero asked him.   
         Duo nodded. "Love you..." he murmured. It was a relief to be able to say it. He took Heero's hand and began walking to the van. "Love me?"   
         Heero smirked again, a look which softened his face. "Hai, Baka. Now get in the van." He gave Duo a playful shove towards the open door. They got in and Trowa slid the van door closed. Wufei started up the engine and the dark van took off into the night, cheerfully tailed by a small red convertible...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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